Self-closing hinge.



G. H. A. REICH.

SELF CLOSING HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1914.

Patentd Aug. 31, 1915.

lmmmsmxwzsw GUSTAV H. A. BEIGE, OF GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA.

SELF-CLOSING- HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application filed July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,176.

To all whom it may eoncem:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV H. A. REICH, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residin at Gainesville, in the county of Hall and tate of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Closing Hinges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hinges, and the primary object of the .invention is the pro vision of a hinge which has an auxiliary knuckle mounted upon the pintle thereof, which knuckle is provided with an inclined surface, by means of which the door to which the hinge is attached will automatically close itself due to the weight of the door upon the inclined end of the pin of the knuckle of the hinge.

Another object of this invention is the rovision of means whereby this auxiliary luckle may be held in position for movement with the leaves of the hinge so as to prevent the door from automatically closing. With the foregoing and other objects'in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyin drawings and claimed.

In descrfinng the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanyin drawings wherein like characters of re erence designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure .1 is a plan view of the improved hinge, Fig. 2 is a View of the hinge showing the various parts disconnected. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the auxiliary knuckle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the-leaves of the hinge, which leaves have the knuckles 3, 4, 5 and 6 formed upon their meeting ends. The knuckles 3 and 4 are formed upon the leaves 1, while the knuckles 5 and 6 are formed upon the leaf 2, and the knuckles are formed for interposed engagement witheach other as is ordinary in the construction of leaf hinges of this nature. The knuckles 6 and 4 are spaced apart-from each other,

so that an auxiliary knuckle 7 may be the opening of the mounted upon the pintle 8 of the hinge intermediate the facing ends of these knuckles. The knuckle 6 has its lower end 9 inclined, which is clearly shown in the drawings, while the auxiliary knuckle 7 has its upper end 10 inclined so as to fit the incline of the lower end of the knuckle 6. The knuckles 3 and 6 are also formed so that a space 11 will be left intermediate the knuckles when the hinge is in its normal position. The leaves 1 and 2 of the hinge are provided with openings 12 extending therethrough, which openings are provided for the reception of screws or like fastening means for attaching the hinge to a door or the like.

In the operation of the improved hinge, when the door to which the hinge is at tached is opened, the inclined surfaces 9 the space 11 and move into abutment with the lower end of the knuckle 3, so that as soon as the opening force of the door is removed, the weight of the door or other structure to which the hinge is attached, will cause the door? to swing shut, owing'to the weight of the door riding upon the inclined surfaces 9 and 10.

To prevent the door from swinging shut by its own weight, after it has been opened, the knuckle 7 is provided with radially transversely extending openings 14 and 15, which openings are provided for the reception of a pin or lug 16, which pin or lug projects out of the openings and engages the surface of either leaf 1 or 2 of the'hinge, according to which opening the pin is placed in. The pin 16 will upon engagement with the different leaves cause the knuckle 7 to move synchronously with the knuckles 4 and 6 or it will permit the knuckle to move free or remain stationary upon the pintle upon movement of the other knuckles of the hinge. Any suitable means may be employed for synchronously with the knuckle 6, which means will hold the inclined surfaces 9 and 10 in engagement witheachother upon the movement of the door to which the hinge is attached to prevent the upward movement of the knuckle 6- upon thepintle 8 during door. If it is so desired, roller or ball bearings may be em loyed upon the inclined surfaces 9 and 10 f hr the purposes of relieving the friction thereon for causing the door to move more freely.

In reducing the invention to practice certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of arts may necessitate alterations to which t e patentee is entitled provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of What is claimed. a

What is claimed 'is:

In a hinge, a pair of leaves having knuckles formed thereupon for intermediate engagement with each other, a pintle for insertion through said knuckles, one of said knuckles having its lower end inclined, an auxiliary knuckle mounted upon-said pintle for independent movement with relation to said hinge leaves, said auxiliary lmuckle having its upper end inclined and being provided for engagement with the inclined surface of said former mentioned lmuckle for closing a door by its Weight after the same has been opened, said auxiliary knuckle being provided with a pair of radial 0 enings extending in opposite direction rom a the central axis thereof, and a pin for msertion into and projection out of either of said openings, said pin adapted for engagement with one of said leaves for moving said independent knuckle synchronouslyv USTAV H. A. REICH. Witnesses:

J NO. K. WILLS, H. D. Asnroan.

formed upon the leaf with 

